Fans and particularly, ceiling fans collect a large amount of dust on their blades and become soiled rapidly as a result of their constant use and rotation. Effective cleaning of fan blades is extremely difficult since very small dust particles become imbedded in the microscopic pores of the fan blade material. Additionally, the difficulty of cleaning ceiling fan blades is compounded since the fans are usually out of reach and the job must be done while dangerously standing on a step ladder or chair.
Another problem associated with ceiling fans is the difficulty of changing the fan's color, such as when a room is redecorated or painted. Usually the only option is to change the ceiling fan, purchase new blades, or disassemble the fan and paint the blades separately.
Still another problem associated with ceiling fans is the difficulty of properly balancing the fan blades so that the fan rotates smoothly at all speeds. Balancing problems can be exacerbated from weight added by painting the ceiling fan blades, clip on deodorant canisters or by adding decorative blade covers.
The present invention solves these problems while also allowing the ceiling fan blades to be employed as room deodorant dispensers and distributors. Deodorant dispensers for rooms are usually cryptically designed to disguise them as common everyday household items such as a toilet paper holder, night light, decorative table top item, and so on. Seeing a room deodorizer is undesirable. Furthermore, these devices are not particularly effective for distributing room deodorant throughout an entire room. A rotating ceiling fan makes an ideal room deodorant dispenser and distributor. Room deodorizers attached to ceiling fans have been patented by Murcin et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,819. The Murcin device attaches an air freshener packet to an existing ceiling fan blade by use of spring loaded U shaped clips. Although, this device extremely useful it is not, and cannot, be incorporated as part of a decorative fan blade cover as the present invention and the Murcin device, can cause the fan to become unbalanced.
Prior devices have been patented which provide covers for ceiling fan blades including Prucha et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,572 which claims an elongated sleeve with an elastic closure at an opened end securing the sleeve on the fan blade. Prucha is an extremely useful fan blade cover, however it cannot provide the multiple uses, such as balancing the fan, and dispensing and distributing room deodorant, as the present invention. Other prior devices relating to ceiling fan blades include a fan blade patented by Junkin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,261 comprising a rigid frame covered by a flexible weather resistant cover. McKnight, U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,573 discloses an elongated strip of porous filtering material attached to the top or bottom surfaces of a fan blade. Burt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,543 discloses an air filtering system to be interconnected to adjacent blades of a fan by fastening means. Although these devices solve particular problems associated with fans or provide added benefits for fans, the prior devices do not and cannot be adapted to include a fan blade cover which allows the fan blades to be decorated to match a room decor, easily removed for cleaning, while also providing a means for balancing the fan and a means for dispensing and distributing room deodorant.